9 Tips for Selling Your House in Winter

Make your home stand out to buyers in a challenging season by upping its coziness and showing its potential

Houzz Contributor. I cover topics ranging from decorating ideas, product picks, Houzz tours, and interviews with designers and architects, to the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write tend to center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures.
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With people away on trips and cold weather making house hunting less appealing, winter can be a challenging time to sell your home. On the other hand, fewer homes on the market means yours will get more attention from buyers. By upping the cozy factor, making the most of winter assets and paying attention to details, you can make your house really stand out.

Here are nine ways to prepare and stage your home for success, and create a warm and welcoming vision for buyers, even when the weather outside is frightful.

1. Have a cozy, crackling fire (or not). If you have a gas fireplace or new clean-burning woodstove, go ahead and light a fire to welcome visitors. But if your home's wood-burning fireplace is older and leaves a smoky smell in the room, hold off. Those with allergies or smoke sensitivities can be turned off — or literally turned away when they have to go outside. No fire? Consider offering warm apple cider instead.

2. Keep entryways scrupulously clean. As with any time of year, a clean and clutter-free house will sell more easily (and maybe at a higher price) than one with more visible clutter. During winter it is especially important to remove mucky boots outside and keep family gear hidden in a closet or trunk, where potential buyers won't trip over them. A Swiffer-style mop kept in the coat closet can be used to quickly freshen entry floors before each showing.

3. Give each room a warm touch. A folded throw draped over the back of an armchair, a plump quilt at the foot of the bed or an area rug in warm hues are a few small additions that will make a big difference in the way a room feels to prospective buyers. Also, be sure that every light is on — even for daytime showings. Winter days can be quite dim, and your house will look its best when it's as warmly lit as possible.

4. Show how outdoor rooms can be used even in the coldest months. If you have a covered porch or outdoor fireplace, be sure to keep the area fully furnished. Turn on outdoor lights, build a fire in the fireplace and drape a few thick throws over your outdoor furniture.

5. Emphasize spaces that will appeal in winter. Basement playrooms, indoor exercise areas, heated toolsheds and the like will be especially welcome in a place with a cold winter. Remove all unrelated stuff to make the purpose of the room clear, and be sure to have your Realtor bring it up when showing the house to potential buyers.

6. Showcase the entertaining possibilities of your home. Winter is prime time for festive parties and holiday open houses, so whet prospective buyers' appetites with an enticing display. Set out stacks of plates and fresh flowers on a dining room buffet or display holiday cookies on cake stands in the kitchen.

7. Use structural elements in the garden for winter interest. In the middle of winter, it can be hard to visualize a blooming garden. Large urns and planters, benches, rock walls and other garden structures will help buyers see the potential even in the snow.

8. Clear all exterior pathways of snow and ice. Nothing will turn away potential buyers faster than a treacherously icy path. Open-house guests should be able to easily walk all the way around the house and access outbuildings. Provide as much off-street (snow-cleared) parking as you can to make things easy for visitors.

9. Do decorate for the holidays. Buyers want to be able to envision living in your home, so it pays to make that vision as inviting as possible. Festive twinkling lights, green wreaths or topiary, and a decorated tree near Christmas will strike the right note. That doesn't mean you have to go overboard — in fact, a house overly cluttered with holiday decor can be a real turnoff.

Great tips for preparing a home for showings. It is amazing to me, no matter what time of year, to enter a home which is completely dark. Sellers who make an effort to "put on a show" (after all, it's a showing) are most impressive.

That outdoor living space, with the fireplace & mountain view, are to die for! I can't imagine sitting out in the cold, but that stone wall is gorgeous!! Not everyone has these basic elements to work with, unfortunately .. like that custom-designed paver driveway/parking area!

Good tips. You may also want to consider having a professional stager come to your home to make it look the best it can. Too many unnecessary things will cause distractions. You'll want your potential buyers to imagine how they could live in your house. A Staged house will also look better in photos that are populated on the Internet. 90% of all home buyers begin their search on the Internet and your photos are extremely important.

If you know there is a showing before happening, then put a pot of vanilla and cinnamon on the stove and simmer, then right before you leave put it in the oven and the smell will stay. Also pink lighting is warm and inviting. Doesn't hurt to bury Joseph in the front yard head pointed to the street or in back yard pointed head toward house.

Sellers, if you are away, make sure agent gets in, gets lights on, and turns up the heat! Nothing turns buyers off like a cold house regardless of how beautiful it is... as for concerns of fireplace... if you are not away, just turn it on for the one hour showing... perhaps discuss with your agent if she would be able to drop by (or an assistant) to close it down.. if this proves difficult just try to schedule the bulk of appointments at a time where agent can turn it on once, and off once... so worthwhile!! (as for vanilla or other scents... it will also put in the question "what are they trying to hide"... save vanilla for friends not buyers)

When my home was staged - I bought large matt black square candle plates from ikea, rocks and tall and medium height pillar candles and placed that on the hearth (not lit). Tall vases with reddish color branches - it all warmed up the fireplace. Clear filled cookie and candy jars on clean shelves. A clean outside entry, painted front door with good hardware, no spider webs in light fixtures is very important.
Brand new comforters and pillows from Target on perfectly made beds a must.
Box all your stuff up and put in garage or storage if you can. Oh yes - a clean garage!!

I frankly think there are inherent problems, with people having their homes shown, when they're away for an extended period. It means you have to insist your own agent is present at/before all showings, so they can arrive early & raise/lower the temperature. I've also seen families "fan out" in a house, so it would be difficult even for 2 agents to keep an eye on children/other family members .. and neither agent will say anything to "make the buyer uncomfortable." So a seller might be thrilled to come back & find a few things missing, broken, or dirty. I happened to be home one day, my agent came over to meet another agent & a buyer (with 2 young boys). I was happy to "make myself scarce", until I heard the boys running around thru the rooms, while I heard the adults talking in the foyer. When I went into the foyer, I saw the boys walking on the white loveseat, no one saying a word to them!

Probably one of the most important of these suggestions is to drastically reduce clutter. I do a lot of looking, and am constantly amazed by the overwhelming amount of junk lying around -- and this is in photos that are posted on the real estate websites! The ones that are supposed to help get the house sold!
My advice is not just to try and hide the clutter -- get it out of the house completely. If you're selling your house in May, pack up everything you won't be using until the winter, mark it clearly, and put it into storage. You can always retrieve it if necessary, and those items will eventually have to be packed anyway. You'll be tackling half of the job of moving ahead of time.....and the house will look so much better for the effort.
One other suggestion is to remove any pet items, at least for a general open house.....even a dog lover like me doesn't want to have to trip over the equipment, so you can imagine how a non-pet loving person might be turned off.....assuming your house is clean and smells good, there is nothing dishonest about taking out the pet accessories to make things look more open and inviting.
And lastly -- if you are selling an estate property, following the passing of an elderly relative -- PLEASE remove hospital beds, walkers and shower chairs from the house before it is photographed. Good luck!

I agree most of us cannot afford those high priced make-overs! Why not give really useful ideas. Like: how to patch a hole in wall where once a picture hung; how to quietten a squeeky place in the floor; give the name of a product that really does clean a shower or tub. how to conveniently file away clutter that you must refer to often, but you don't want it to be shown to those attending an open house. When I get ideas such as that, I print them out, file in a file folder and drawer where I know it's available.
I do love looking at the expensive houses, but I think we put too much emphasis on "things."

@aClemenza - I could write a book about some of my house hunting experiences; like the house where the homeowner wouldn't let us see the 3rd bedroom, because (she said) that's where she stored all the clutter from the rest of the house! Or homeowners who won't let you open closets to see how large they are/aren't. I remember one home .. over $1 million .. where not only were there dirty dishes in the sink, and clean ones on the drain rack in the photo .. but dishes standing around the kitchen, even when we went to see the house .. the the homeowner standing there & able to have put them away! What does that say about how intent the owners are about selling?!

I agree with all the things said. BUT I live in Fl. We have our manufactured home for sale, furnished, at the right price and our agent won't schedule an open house. We live
In a gated community and the sales office only is interested in selling their homes. I find it very stressful keeping everything clean and tidy every day on the hope that today will be THE DAY. We've done everything we can to get people to see out beautiful home. I am glad the economy is changing and our home prices are on the rise. Hope I sells by Mar.

It's so true about turning on all lights in the house, but I am embarrassed to admit we did this mistake as first time buyers. House looked bright (winter, so sure lights were on and we didn't suspect the trick), we moved in spring, and "choked". Windows were renewed before sale, and couple of years later we started replace new windows to newer, opening them, it was so unbearable dark in house. Neighbor came to ask what happened, he decided we had vandalized!!! Hate those tricks and staging, cleaning and giving vision, yes, but don't want to fool people.

When I was house hunting the overpowering use of incense or aerosol sprays upon walking in turned me off instantly. It only told me that it was used recently to disguise other odors. Fresh and clean smells are much different than scented smells... not lysol, pine sol or clorox please! Don't use self clean oven mode the day before a showing...the house still smells from the cleaning process. Keep the oven clean on a regular basis to avoid being surprised. Empty wastebaskets and kitchen garbage! Amazing how many people think if it's hidden in a cupboard it won't matter. Garbage is garbage and a personal item in some cases so take it out! The smell of cinnamon/apples in the kitchen is appropriate but not in the bedrooms.

Really good advice on the posts. It is not trickery to have a clean, spotless, odour free, staged home with lights & fireplace on. I appreciated the effort made by the home owners /real estate agents on some of the house tours we took prior to buying our new home. I do not like clutter either, it made me wonder what they were hiding beneath the pile of junk. We had a great real estate agent that turned on the fireplace prior to showing our home and turned it off, including all the lights. She was worth the dollars she got. My home was staged with assist from tips from the real estate sites. Very easy, affordable and really got the job done!

I understood sellers agent shows actually the house, so interesting. If that so, very valuable information. Our shows to the buyers only in case interested house hunters don't have their own agent. Mostly sellers agent job to confirm appointments with buyer agents, giving door key cod and notify owners. For service he/she gets 1% and buyers agent gets 2.5% (general ratio), as they do more actual job.

Typically in our area, upstate NY, the buyer's agent gets 2.5%. Some buyer's agents steer folks toward their own firm's listings. The good ones show all the houses that fit the buyer's needs and budget. They also pre-qualify buyers so they are not wasting the time of the seller's agents with folks who cannot afford the home.

REALTORS® are licensed by State. In the State of Texas there are no set commission fees; all fees are negotiable. The Buyer's broker is typically compensated by the listing broker through sharing the sales commission the Seller agreed to pay. The buyer's rep does represent the Buyer, and the listing agent represents the Seller. Presentation, which is the point of this discussion, helps to win an offer and higher sales price. The listing agent should give advice and opinion on preparing the home for sale, and our jobs can be easier when Sellers are informed by resources such as houzz. Keep in mind that expectations in markets can vary so it's important to engage a REALTOR® who specializes in your neighborhood. Also, real estate professionals do much more than stick a sign in the yard or confirm showings. We assist in the process from pricing and marketing to transaction management and successful closing. Thank you.

Price it right or no amount of staging, cleaning, lights, etc. will sell it. We found this out the hard way. The next time, we set our egos aside, took the top agent's pricing suggestion, and it sold quickly.

Thanks for sharing this article, I don't know very many people who are bold enough to try and sell here home in the winter, I think its great if they can do it. I've just been looking for ways to prep my home for sell whenever we can make it happen. Our <a href="http://plumbprosinc.com">denver drain cleaning</a> is what we've been working on lately so we'll see how this all turns out. Thanks for sharing!

@hollyklien - Homeowners can make the most of any season, their house is on the market .. and these days it often takes a lot more than 1 season to sell! If a home is comfortably toasty in winter, it brings a smile to buyers' faces, when they walk in from the cold. And if there's a fireplace & holiday decorations, that adds to the charm. If it's summertime, walking into a delightfully cool house from the heat & humidity, is also a plus.

Aside from these factors, homeowners must also look for the best real estate agent, such as Potts Point Real Estate Agents. This will surely help many homeowners to buy their home even in winter season. Great tips for several homeowners!

I agree some of these tips are good and have been around for years.. But I like a few others wish that some photos would show realistically size homes.. Some houses are just far to nigh in proportion to see any effects... On the other hand I live the web site.. Cheers

It is more difficult to convince home buyers to go dashing through the snow to an open house in December than in May. But here given tips will help seller to attract a buyer and sale home faster. During winter, we tend to focus on warmth, togetherness and family that makes the room appear more comfortable.